e of three miles. Then we made for some low ridges lying
west-south-west and reached them in twelve miles. There was neither
watercourse, channel, nor rock-holes; we wandered for several miles
round the ridges, looking for water, but without success, and got back
on our morning's tracks when we had travelled thirty miles. From the
top of these ridges the lake could be seen stretching away to the west
or west-south-west in vast proportions, having several salt arms
running back from it at various distances. Very far to the west was
another ridge, but it was too distant for me to reach now, as to-night
the horses would have been two nights without water, and the
probability was they would get none there if they reached it. I
determined to visit it, however, but I felt I must first return to the
tank in the little glen to refresh the exhausted horses. From where we
are, the prospect is wild and weird, with the white bed of the great
lake sweeping nearly the whole southern horizon. The country near the
lake consists of open sandhills, thickly bushed and covered with
triodia; farther back grew casuarinas and mulga scrubs.

It was long past the middle of the day when I descended from the hill.
We had no alternative but to return to the only spot where we knew
water was to be had; this was now distant twenty-one miles to the
north-east, so we departed in a straight line for it. I was heartily
annoyed at being baffled in my attempt to reach the mountain, which I
now thought more than ever would offer a route out of this terrible
region; but it seemed impossible to escape from it. I named this
eminence Mount Olga, and the great salt feature which obstructed me
Lake Amadeus, in honour of two enlightened royal patrons of science.
The horses were now exceedingly weak; the bogging of yesterday had
taken a great deal of strength out of them, and the heat of the last
two days had contributed to weaken them (the thermometer to-day went
up to 101 degrees in shade). They could now only travel slowly, so
that it was late at night when we reached the little tank. Fifty miles
over such disheartening country to-day has been almost too much for
the poor animals. In the tank there was only sufficient water for one
horse; the others had to be tied up and wait their turns to drink, and
the water percolated so slowly through the sand it was nearly midnight
before they were all satisfied and begun to feed. What wonderful
creatures horses are! They